DEATHLY SILENCES: UMBRAL MONUMENT GUIDE

Contention of Deathly Silences arrives July 2, 2026, the latest six-stage series in the Umbral Monument challenge line.

TL;DR - Key Points

• Contention of Deathly Silences opens July 2, 2026 at 12:00 server time, then stays permanently available
• Six stages, each with Normal and Agony modes; Agony unlocks the trimmed medal
• Unlock requirement: Complete main mission Chapter I Process II: Paving the Way, plus Authority Level 30 or higher
• Limited event: Monumental Etching: Dirge of Grief runs alongside it, from July 2, 2026 until the next version update and maintenance
• Key rewards: Mark of Perseverance, Advanced Cognitive Carrier, Arms INSP Set, Protohedron
• Part of the 1.3 Sketches of Lost Heirlooms update, the same patch that added Wuling - Sword Vault Dale, Mi Fu, and Camille

Update, July 2: The series is now live. See our day-one breakdown of Dirge of Grief’s deadline and reward expectations for the confirmed event window and what it signals about version 1.4.

Related read: Turbidity Manifest: Umbral Monument Guide covers the previous series if you want a sense of how these launches play out. Stuck on the caster stage? Our free-to-play Stage 3 Pyromancer team shows how to tank the boss’s ult with Ember instead of racing the clones. Further in, our Harrowing Æthillu Stage 5 guide breaks down the phantom’s revival mechanic and the two-second burst window that clears it.

When and How to Access

Server Launch Times:

• Asia Server (UTC+8): July 2, 2026 at 12:00
• Americas / Europe Server (UTC-5): July 2, 2026 at 12:00 (local server time)

Once live, Contention of Deathly Silences stays available permanently, same as every prior Umbral Monument series. There’s no rush on the stages themselves, only on the limited-time event layered on top.

Unlock Requirements:

• Complete main mission [Chapter I Process II: Paving the Way]
• Authority Level ≥ 30

Both gates are early-game checkpoints, so most active accounts will already qualify. If you’re short on Authority, clear both gates now so you can get straight into the stages.

See also: Mastering Endfield: Medal Trimming Guide for how the trimmed medal fits into the wider prestige system.

What Is Contention of Deathly Silences?

Contention of Deathly Silences is the next entry in the Umbral Monument challenge line, the mode that plays the same role Contingency Contract does in the original Arknights. Every series adds six new stages with their own enemy roster and stage gimmicks, layered on top of the existing Normal/Agony structure. For a cross-series breakdown of every stage and enemy so far, see the Umbral Monument Database.

As with prior series, Agony isn’t unlocked stage by stage, it opens once its Normal counterpart is cleared. Clearing every stage’s Normal mode earns the engraved medal; clearing every stage’s Agony mode trims it.

Rewards Breakdown

Base Completion Rewards (All Stages)

Clearing every challenge stage in the series rewards:

• Mark of Perseverance – the profile medal, trimmed once you clear every stage in Agony
• Advanced Cognitive Carrier – high-tier skill upgrade material
• Arms INSP Set – a full set of weapon enhancement materials
• Protohedron – mastery currency, always in demand

Limited-Time Event: Monumental Etching – Dirge of Grief

Event Period: July 2, 2026 at 12:00 (server time) until before the next version update and maintenance

Dirge of Grief runs on top of the base stage rewards, the same layout as prior Monumental Etching events: complete various Umbral Monument challenges during the window to claim additional event-exclusive rewards. Exact reward tiers will be in the in-game Event Center once the update lands.

Important: because this event closes right as the next version’s maintenance begins, the effective deadline is earlier than any posted date, treat “before maintenance” as “well before maintenance.”

Preparation Checklist

A few days out from launch, here’s what’s worth doing now.

1. Confirm Your Gates Are Cleared

Double check you’ve finished Chapter I Process II: Paving the Way and sit at Authority 30 or above. Both are low bars for anyone past the early game, but worth confirming before the 2nd rather than finding out mid-event.

2. Audit Team Compositions

Six stages usually means more than one team is expected to clear comfortably. Check that you have:

• At least two functional teams covering different damage types
• Supports at a reasonable investment level with key skills leveled
• Coverage for both physical and arts damage

3. Stockpile Sanity

Agony stages tend to demand retries while you learn hazards and enemy patterns. If you’ve been sitting on sanity boosters, this is the series to spend them on.

4. Review the Medal Trimming Payoff

If chasing the trimmed medal specifically, it’s worth reading through how trimming factors into the broader prestige system before diving in. See the Medal Trimming Guide for the full picture.

Final Notes

Contention of Deathly Silences follows the same format every Umbral Monument series has used: six stages, two difficulty tiers, an engraved medal for Normal, a trimmed medal for Agony, and a limited-time etching event layered on top for extra rewards. Nothing about the structure changes, only the stage content and enemy roster.

Because the series stays permanently available after launch, there’s no pressure to rush the stages themselves, just the Dirge of Grief event tied to the version window. For the full reward track, stage-by-stage details, and drop tables, check the in-game Event Center once the update lands on July 2.

Note: The content shown here is for demonstration purposes only and may differ from the actual game. Please refer to the in-game information for specific event details.